Pilot study of a multidisciplinary gout patient education and monitoring program.

Objective: Gout patient self-management knowledge and adherence to treatment regimens are poor. Our objective was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a multidisciplinary team-based pilot program for the education and monitoring of gout patients.

Methods: Subjects completed a gout self-management knowledge exam, along with gout flare history and compliance questionnaires, at enrollment and at 6 and 12 months.

Sarcoidosis: Rheumatology perspective.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory granulomatous disease for which rheumatologists are uniquely trained and qualified to treat. Historically, sarcoidosis has been managed within silos of medical subspecialties, but with increased appreciation of the systemic nature of this disorder and the availability of more therapeutic options, it is clear that a multidisciplinary approach, with the rheumatologist as a key component, can offer more optimal care. This manuscript reviews clinically relevant immunology and pathophysiology, diagnostic issues, management decision-making, and therapeutics in the care of patients with sarcoidosis.

Investigation of interleukin 1beta-mediated regulation of NF-kappaB activation in colonic cells reveals divergence between PKB and PDK-transduced events.

Recent work has highlighted a role for PDK1 in adaptive immunity, however its contribution to innate immunity has not been addressed. We have investigated the role of PKB and PDK1 in IL-1beta-induced NF-kappaB activation. Over-expression of either in HCT 116 and HEK 293T cells, effected a reproducible NF-kappaB activation.

The CY domain of the Fcgamma RIa alpha-chain (CD64) alters gamma-chain tyrosine-based signaling and phagocytosis.

Although the cytoplasmic domain of the human FcgammaRIa alpha-chain lacks tyrosine-based phosphorylation motifs, it modulates receptor cycling and receptor-specific cytokine production. The cytoplasmic domain of FcgammaRIa is constitutively phosphorylated, and the inhibition of dephosphorylation with okadaic acid, an inhibitor of type 1 and type 2A protein serine/threonine phosphatase, inhibits both receptor-induced activation of the early tyrosine phosphorylation cascade and receptor-specific phagocytosis. To explore the basis for these effects of the cytoplasmic domain of FcgammaRIa, we developed a series of human FcgammaRIa molecular variants, expressed in the murine macrophage cell line P388D1, and demonstrate that serine phosphorylation of the cytoplasmic domain is an important regulatory mechanism.